LEGO

Following the abhorrent trend of announcing different preorder bonuses across different retailers is Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, which is shipping with six different doodads depending on where you go. Fortunately, it's not ...

LEGO has a pretty cool website where people can essentially crowdvote on LEGO ideas that they'd like to become a reality. Since all of the licensing deals have to be worked out before it hits the market it's not a 100% foolpr...

Plus: Anime.Today on Tuesday Newsday, we go over two games that Brett Makedonski previewed, which have both been delayed, The Order: 1886 and The Evil Within. The new Battlefield is Hardline, seemingly a cops and robbers theme rather tha...

Warner Bros. and TT games announce Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham for release this fall. It's coming to Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, Wii U, PC, Vita, and 3DS. Phew!
This is the next in line for the the super successful Lego B...

Apr 27 //
Ian Bonds
LEGO The Hobbit (3DS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PSVita, Xbox 360 [reviewed], Xbox One, WiiU)Developer: TT GamesPublisher: Warner Brothers InteractiveRelease Date: April 8, 2014MSRPP: $29.99 (3DS, Vita), $49.99 (PS3, Xbox 360, WiiU), $59.99 (PS4, Xbox One)
The long and short of it is, LEGO The Hobbit only encompasses An Unexpected Journey and The Desolation of Smaug. Apparently, we'll be seeing the final section of the game once the final film is released (though most folk know how the story goes, as I'm sure, like me, you had to read it in grade school).
That said, what is found within this game is more hit or miss than previous LEGO titles. You still have your typical romp around the levels, bashing enemies and smashing objects for LEGO studs, a whimsical version of the films recreated with the mini-figures (with voicework directly from the original films, just as in LEGO The Lord of The Rings), and the level design and plot mirror the source material almost to a fault from a pacing standpoint.
However this time through, the levels are a bit uneven. There's almost too many things to smash, and not enough enemies to fight. Because of this, some levels can seem short, while still other can drag on far longer than they should. When smashing open items, you can now gather LEGO pieces, or mine them from items via a mini game, which you can save to use to build things later -- which begs the question, why hasn't this been included before now?
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Most noticeable, however, is the lack of character diversity. While LEGO The Lord of The Rings had a wide range of characters, each with their own unique abilities, LEGO The Hobbit seems a bit more limited as far as choice, and sadly, this appears to be partially due to the source. The numerous different dwarves are all comical and unique...in the film. Here in the game, it's really hard to tell one from the other and despite the game's new addition of listing a character's attributes or abilities on the menu screen, there's not a lot to differentiate one from another.
Still, there is a good bit to like about the game as well. If you've enjoyed the many other LEGO adaptations, this one is not without it's charm. The characters and backgrounds match the films well, and the game follows the story of the movies very closely, down to the questionable bonus material padding. Though again, being a bit limited by the original voicework may not allow for the normal LEGO slaptick-type humor, and a few scenes of real tension and whimsy from the films seem to fall a bit flat.
Of course, as stated before, the biggest disappointment is that the game isn't actually complete. It's a pretty safe bet that the final section of the game (now called "The Battle of the Five Armies") will be offered via downloadable content, but considering the game itself is being sold at full price without it (especially on the next-gen consoles), I'm wondering if they'll be offering it for free or not. I certainly hope so, as charging for an entire films worth of bonus content would be the most substantial -- and potentially pricey -- LEGO DLC of all.
When it comes right down to it, LEGO The Hobbit isn't a terrible game, but it's isn't a terribly good one either. The LEGO formula may be finally getting a bit stagnant, and the new additions, while cool, may be too little, too late. If the final section had been included at retail, I'm not sure my opinion would have swayed much more in either direction, but it certainly is noticeable in it's omission.

A middle ground Middle EarthAnother month, another LEGO game. These things are starting to be more frequently released than yearly Call of Duty games. And with that frequency comes some caveats, such as this month's title only including the two Hobbit films that have been released thus far.
Does that put a damper on the entertainment value found within? Only time -- or reading on -- will tell.

When the North American PlayStation Store updates tomorrow, PS Plus subscribers will be able to download Sega's Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse remake on PS3 for free. Like the other featured titles this month, this ...

Warner Bros. has released LEGO: The Hobbit to retailers in North America today, with a European release coming on April 11. As one might expect, new marketing materials have been released for the game, including the abo...

Mar 27 //
Brett Makedonski[embed]272482:53141:0[/embed]
Yes, accessibility's the crux of LEGO Minifigures Online, and that permeates both the gameplay and the places you'll find it. Available on both PC and Android/iOS devices, it features crossplay capabilities so that anyone can pick up wherever they left off at any time.
While it's easy to find a device to pick up and jump into LEGO Minifigures Online, it's just as simple to actually play. Most of the gameplay is assigned to left-clicking or tapping the screen. This includes walking, attacking, and building. A few odds and ends are assigned to other buttons, but there's nothing overwhelming to be found here.
Don't think for a second that its simplicity is a hindrance, though. No, this game boasts some seriously entertaining gameplay for those who are willing to give it a try. Sectioned off into different worlds, players go on raids in parties of up to four people. The area that we were shown was pirate-themed, but the developers made mention of a medieval setting as well as a few others.
The titular characters -- that is, the Minifigures -- are put on center stage, as they're the real focal point here. LEGO Minifigures Online promises to feature a cast of around 100 at game's launch. If the selection we were shown is any indication, they'll be incredibly varied. A few that we saw were an ice skater, a sky diver, a paintballer, a motorcyclist, and a fairy.
Their appearances weren't their only defining characteristics, though. Each character has two attacks that are uniquely their own. Some are direct, others are area-of-effect, and usually they work well in conjunction with one another. Apart from this, each character can be leveled up to level ten through a shared pool of experience points. In theory, if you want to dash one right up to the level cap, you can, but at the expense of the progress of others.
Most of the fun in LEGO Minifigures Online comes from simply unlocking new characters. There are a host of ways to do this in-game, such as beating bosses, earning achievements, and finding them in the wild. However, Funcom plans to also insert downloadable codes in packs of Minifigures at retail, meaning that each new toy bought comes with a tangible and digital version.
As for the questing, the raid we were taken on wasn't overly difficult, but could prove a bit challenging at times. It focused a lot on areas full of new enemies with the occasional objective. Surprisingly, building wasn't as central of a theme as expected. It was more about combat and collecting. By the end, we were fighting a kraken -- a multi-tiered boss that was actually somewhat thought-provoking.
At first impression, LEGO Minifigures Online is a title that most anyone can have fun with. I don't know if those expecting a true MMO experience will be able to look to this as a long-term fix, but going into it with an action-game mindset may help. Actually, in a lot of ways it might remind you of Traveller's Tale LEGO games, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Regardless of ageLet's face it: massively multiplayer online games can be intimidating for some people. Between the incredibly nuanced systems that some titles tout, and the tales of time and dedication required to "properly" play a game, it'...

Mar 21 //
Ian Bonds
The LEGO Movie Videogame (Wii U, 3DS, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PS Vita, Xbox 360 [reviewed], Xbox One)Developer: TT GamePublisher: Warner Brothers Interactive EntertainmentRelease Date: February 7, 2014MSRP: $49.99
If you haven't seen the movie, here's a quick synopsis: Emmet is an average construction worker, just like everyone he works with. A little TOO average. So average in fact that no one notices him -- until he finds the "piece of resistance" and is mistaken for a master builder: exceptionally creative types who can make anything out of the LEGO world without instructions. With the other master builders such as Wyldstyle, Benny the Spaceman, and uh, Batman, they unite to stop Lord Business from destroying the world as they know it.
The game itself, as expected, is just a longer version of the film's events, played out in the traditional LEGO game style. If you've played any of the others, this is familiar ground: You run along, smashing LEGO objects and punching hundreds of evil robots in the face while solving building puzzles and character-specific actions.
You can of course switch between other characters, but often now there's many to choose from in any given level. Cycling through five different characters to get to the one with the special ability you need for a specific section is a bit much, but it's still only a minor fault at best.
The levels are straight out of the movie, and for the first time in a LEGO game, the environments reflect that everything is made out of blocks, rather than just appearing that way once they explode. Cutscenes that move the story along are also straight from the film, so if you haven't seen the movie, it showcases quite a bit, but also doesn't quite present it as well as the film would. Still, it's a great companion piece (no pun intended).
New to the series of LEGO games -- to tie it directly into the film -- is the Master Builder Vision. This allows you to select multiple objects in the game world to bring them together and create something new (but obviously per-determined by the game) out of them for newer puzzles. Minikits have sort of been replaced by instruction book pages that, once collected, drop you into a mini-game where you have a certain amount of time to pick the right piece out of a lineup. That said, the puzzles this time around aren't quite up to snuff with what's come before in other LEGO titles, but it does a fair job.
Sadly, that seems to be true of the missions themselves as well as the characters. In TT Games' previous entry, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes, each character had multiple special moves and abilities, and the variety seen in each level with which to use these was pretty wide. Here, it's almost as if they've restricted themselves to what was in the film's environments, and didn't allow themselves to step too far out of that comfort zone. It's only once you've gone through half the game that its repetition lessens and it gets going really well.
Once again, you can unlock freeplay so you can run through the levels again and go through any sections you couldn't access with the given characters on the first run-through, but the monotony of the early stages might stifle your desire to do so.
If you're still a fan of the LEGO games after all the previous entries, this won't turn you off the franchise. Likewise, if you've never played any of the series before, this might not get you as interested as some of the better LEGO games will.
It's not a bad game, but it's not a "must have" either. The LEGO Movie Videogame does a decent job telling the movie's story and being its own licensed tie-in game -- to its own licensed tie-in movie. Thankfully, both are fun in their own right.

Everything is (moderately) awesomeFirst things first: if you haven't seen The LEGO Movie, you should probably go do that right now. It's awesome, and your face will love it.
Back yet? OK, good.
For those of you who have seen it, this is your predictable licen...

Hey all, consider this a PSA: Lego Movie is good- like really really good. So, when a lovely fan gifted Phil a copy of the game on Steam (Thanks Shadowclone1000!) we were cautiously optimistic. Sure Lego games are typically c...

If somehow you still have yet to get a PlayStation 3 and also happen to really love The Hobbit and LEGO, then you're in luck. A new PlayStation 3 bundle is on the way that will pack in LEGO The Hobbit. It'll be a 500GB PS3 sy...

LEGO Cuuso is a site where you can vote on fan-made LEGO sets. With 10,000 votes, a set goes to LEGO for review. It's where Minecraft LEGO set came from.
Of course, LEGO can also block a set if it's deemed impractical or ther...

Long before Xenogears became my favorite game of all time, Legos were my favorite toy of all time. So seeing the two combined is a thrill for me.
Lego user diegocabrera has put together some of the mecha from the PlayStation ...

This trailer for LEGO The Hobbit checks all of the usual boxes for these titles. Coming off of LEGO The Lord of the Rings and its rather neat open-ended world, I'm curious to see how this new game will differ. The silliness ...

This video brightened my day in a huge way. It's an animator's idea of what The Last of Us franchise would look like if taken on by the Traveler's Tales team of LEGO game designers. It is now my new go-to argument in favor of the assertion that any idea, however grim, can be made funny with the proper application of Danish construction blocks.

I'm so woefully out of touch with modern film news that I had no idea an animated feature was on the way which centered on the world of LEGO, but it very certainly is. And what would a family-oriented major motion picture re...

It looks like the rumors are true -- Warner Bros. has officially a confirmed LEGO version of The Hobbit, set for a Spring 2014 release. It'll hit the Xbox One, 360, PS4, PS3, Vita, the Wii U, 3DS, and PC/Mac platforms. In oth...

Over on the Brickset forums, a teaser page for a LEGO The Hobbit game has been found in the instruction booklets for the upcoming LEGO sets based on The Desolation of Smaug.
Warner Bros. hasn't announced this yet, but the ad ...

Get to know the people that make great videogames
A week and a half ago on Sup Holmes (now on iTunes) we were graced with the company of Ms. Holly Pickering, former artist on the bulk of Traveller's Tale's LEGO games, currently working on Ether One from White Paper Games.
H...

Just days after word got out that LEGO Marvel Super Heroes wouldn't be ready in time for the North American Xbox One launch on November 22, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has come back with news that it will, after al...

[Update: Warner Bros. notified Destructoid that LEGO Marvel Super Heroes will in fact be an Xbox One launch title. It's going to release in North America on Nov. 22 as originally planned.]
In a statement provided to MCV, Warn...

[Update: Holly's episode will happen today, Nov. 10th 2013. Be there.]
Today on Sup, Holmes? we'll be treated to an hour and a half with Holly Pickering, formerly of Travelers Tales. Holly got her start in the business at 20 ...

November is here and the holidays are just around the corner. And while most of this year's major blockbusters have already hit, as we gear up for the inevitable onslaught of the next generation, there are still some surprise...

Nov 06 //
Brett Zeidler
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes (Xbox 360 [reviewed], Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, 3DS, PC)Developer: Traveller's TalesPublisher: Warner Bros. Interactive EntertainmentReleased: October 22, 2013MSRP: $49.99
The game begins innocently enough, with Silver Surfer being knocked out of the sky, bringing down with him a handful of "Cosmic Bricks." Dr. Doom, enlisting the help of Loki and Magneto, seeks these out to create his, well, Doom Ray...of Doom. So, of course it's up to the heroes of the Marvel universe to put an end to these shenanigans. That's about as far as the narrative goes, really. Not to say this is a bad thing; the story is fine and it does exactly what it needs to: set up the locales and scenarios for the game itself to shine. Players will be taken to the breathtaking Asgard, Savage Land, space, and everywhere in between from various Marvel settings. In fact, no two levels could remotely be described as similar.
Canonically, the title takes place almost directly after the events of The Avengers, the events of the film being directly referenced numerous times. More than that, the characters' solo film outtings are also brought up throughout. For example, the Clean Slate Protocol from Iron Man 3 is reused at one point early on to make one of the more lackluster boss battles one of the most memorable, and the shawarma gag is brought up periodically to arguable comedic effect. Of course, all these references would fall flat without the proper delivery, and its in delivery Traveller's Tales are masters of their domain.
Characters are perfectly animated, causing them to look and act exactly as expected. The cutscenes are effectively silly, and have that same Traveller's Tales charm one has come to expect over the years. Just as more recent entries, the entire cast is fully voiced and (for the most part) handled really well. More notably, Clark Gregg, Nolan North, and Stan Lee reprise their well-known roles as S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Phil Coulson, Deadpool, and himself, respectively. Not much more needs to be said about that.
The formula for a LEGO game breaks down as follows: play through a level with a set cast of characters, unlock free play for that level, and replay it later with an entire roster of playable characters at one's disposal to reach brand new areas that unlock secrets. Every action is driven by a constant positive-reinforcement structure. Each character has an ability button, a melee button, and (if able) a fly button. The ability button allows Spider-Man to shoot his web, Hulk to smash, and so on. Players will constantly destroy, build, and move LEGOs to collect, interact, and influence the world, just as before. Local co-op is still the only option that's offered, sadly.
From a gameplay perspective, these abilities boil down to either a projectile, environmental interaction, or passive ability. But just like LEGOs, it's how these small, simple pieces are built on top of each other in the characters themselves, and how they're mixed in matched in all the game's puzzles, that makes them consistently interesting. Nothing is presented that hasn't been experienced before, but the LEGO titles avoid feeling stale thanks to every title having an entirely new universe to work with that creates a fresh coat of paint and doesn't necessitate the underlying basic structure needing to change. This point is especially true with Marvel Super Heroes.
Between story missions, New York City acts as the hub where the player can explore, complete quick side missions provided by civilians, bigger side-missions involving various villains (presented by Deadpool himself), fill out the roster of over 100 characters, unlock new vehicles, or simply just wreak havoc if they so choose.
The city feels quite alive (literally, in the case of The Statue of Liberty), and truly larger and more detailed than one would expect it to be. There's something to be said about playing as Iron Man and ripping through the city streets at hyper speed, or skydiving as any character from the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier miles above the city and landing exactly where all the action is in a matter of seconds.
It is possible to play the entirety of the story without spending more than ten minutes in the city, but to do so would be missing out on an entire other half (arguably even more than half) of the package. The story can be completed somewhere in the neighborhood of seven to 10 hours, but to truly complete the game would take someone what I estimate to be 30 - 40 hours.
LEGO Marvel is not without its annoyances, and they're annoyances that have been a problem in the franchise from the start. Firstly, the hint system is context sensitive and also not context sensitive. It's never consistent. The confusing nature wouldn't be highlighted so much if it weren't for the fact that the text flashes and covers the entirety of the lower third of the screen.
This doesn't happen once or twice a mission, but rather every couple of minutes throughout the entire game. The same hint telling the player that they need a web-slinging character to interact with a certain piece -- despite doing this probably a hundred times before -- will appear just as frequently on the final mission as it did on the first. Other times hints will just pop up seemingly for no reason at all other than just because. There's no reason for the player to not have the option to turn this off at this point in the franchise's life.
Another problem stems from the ability button and context-sensitive switch button both being mapped to the same button. Some characters that have a long ability animation such as Black Widow (who turns invisible), become really annoying to use when trying to pull a switch but instead not being close enough and accidentally using her ability. It's a really trivial issue that is more sparingly annoying, but with every button on the controller not being mapped it seems easily fixable and something that shouldn't have been an issue in the first place, yet continues to be one.
I enjoyed myself immensely during my playthrough despite these slight problems, both as a huge comic book fan and from the nostalgia-fueled bliss that comes from the presence of LEGOs. Continually seeing that personal favorites of mine like Guardians of the Galaxy, Daredevil, and Deadpool (specifically how he reoccurs throughout the game's story) or hand-picked obscure characters like Howard the Duck and Squirrel Girl were playable inspired me to play more (and continue to) in the end-game just to discover who I could unlock next. If one has a Marvel character in mind, they probably make an appearance here. The game is definitely rooted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but there's more subtle references to the comics, especially with the entire catalog of material and history Traveller's Tales had the opportunity to use.
My favorite example has to be at one point early in the game, where a billboard that features an alternate LEGO rendition of Superior Spider-Man #1's cover appears. Eventually, the player has to use Spider-Man to pull down this wall to a crumbling fall, and I couldn't help but laugh as it can't be anything other than a blatant, harsh jab at the events surrounding that character that took place earlier this year. These types of moments only appeal to a small percentage of players, but it adds all the more personality to an already jam-packed game full of every kind of Marvel fan-service.
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes is the Avengers game we've always wanted, and maybe even more than that -- the Marvel game we've always wanted, and I say that well-aware of the fact that Marvel: Ultimate Alliance and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 are out there. Sure, it's in LEGO form, but whether you're a casual super hero fan or take a trip to the local comic book store every Wednesday, there's no question there's something for everyone here.

LEGO MAHVEL BAYBEEStar Wars, Indiana Jones, Batman (later the entirety of DC), Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter, and The Lord of the Rings -- arguably a majority of the world's largest entertainmen...

Funcom is making a LEGO MMO of its own and would-be players can now register for the game's closed beta. LEGO Minifigures Online is fully launching next year and before that point, there will also be an open beta. If you sign...

Deals! Green Man Gaming is currently offering a 25% off voucher that is good for just under a week. With it, you can get a host of titles at 25% off, from the upcoming Batman: Arkham Origins to the XCOM expansion Enemy Within...

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes is shaping up to be one of the more interesting LEGO games, and now you can try it for free on the PC off the official site. It appears as if the demo is very short, only giving you brief glimpses of ...

In today's universe-imploding news, TT Games is working on a new LEGO title based on the upcoming The LEGO Movie which, if you haven't seen the trailer, essentially looks like a big-screen adaptation of the studio's games. Th...

[Update: Looks like Amazon has sold out on Animal Crossing: New Leaf, but other 3DS titles are still currently available. Better act fast!]
If my Facebook feed has been any indication, then everyone (their moms included) alre...

For the love of god, somebody get me a 3DS. I made the unfortunate mistake of backing the wrong Nintendo console, grabbing a Wii U late last year, when I should have put my eggs in the portable basket. Now I'm not able to pl...